Commute | The Podcast

1️⃣ There are a few pay phones left in the world. Here’s who’s using them.  2️⃣ We’re terrible at telling the future. We keep trying anyway.  Sources: http://www.commutethepodcast.com Follow Commute: Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodcast/ Twitter - @PodcastCommute Facebook - facebook.com/commutethepodcast

It’s the world’s most famous movie sound effect. You know it when you hear it.  This popular Chinese phone app is one of the simplest - and the darkest.  Sources: https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/wilhelm-scream-explained-75982/ https://www.wired.com/story/china-are-you-dead-yet-app/ http://www.commutethepodcast.com Follow Commute: Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodcast/ Twitter - @P...

Sometimes humans randomly … explode?? There’s a lot of money spent (and wasted) with our favorite go-to last-minute gift. Sources: https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesfinancecouncil/2024/02/09/gift-cards-a-strategy-for-retailers-and-consumers/ https://www.popsci.com/health/can-humans-spontaneously-combust-the-baffling-cases-explained/ http://www.commutethepodcast.com Follow Commute: Instagram -...

Ever wonder why January 1st is the beginning of a new year? So did we… Not all New Year's traditions are about fireworks and funny hats - some are disgusting, others are deadly. Sources: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/653232/victorian-new-years-traditions https://www.npr.org/2025/12/29/nx-s1-5624238/new-year-calendar-january-history http://www.commutethepodcast.com Follow Commute: Instag...

For nearly 70 years, kids have tracked Santa thanks to a misdial and a quick-thinking Air Force colonel who met the moment.  The success of Home Alone, led to Home Alone 2. That led to one of the most intense Christmas toy crazes of all time.  http://www.commutethepodcast.com Follow Commute: Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodcast/ Twitter - @PodcastCommute Facebook - facebook.com/commutethepo...

We once declared war on a bunch of birds. It went as you’d expect. The pet of our Commander in Chief often say more about that administration than any speech ever could.  Sources: https://www.historyhit.com/the-great-emu-war/ http://www.commutethepodcast.com Follow Commute: Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodcast/ Twitter - @PodcastCommute Facebook - facebook.com/commutethepodcast

If you suspect your local high school’s mascot looks suspiciously like a professional team or D1 university version, you’re probably right. And they probably shouldn’t be doing that.  Every year, the Oxford Dictionary’s Word of the year is less about the dictionary update and more about where we are as a society. This year is no different.  Sources: https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/words/oxfor...

There are unexpectedly weird (and occasionally gross) sides to the food you enjoy on Thanksgiving. Email, text, phone call, snail mail … spam has been around longer than you think.  Sources: https://bookriot.com/history-of-chain-letters/ https://www.mentalfloss.com/holidays/thanksgiving/thanksgiving-food-facts http://www.commutethepodcast.com Follow Commute: Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepod...

Black boxes collect flight information on aircraft and are crucial for accident investigations. But how do they survive an accident when the plane doesn’t? Who decided the standard  40-hour work week?  Is it still the best idea? Sources: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/careersandeducation/how-did-we-get-a-40-hour-workweek-and-has-it-had-its-day/ar-AA1Qezmu https://www.airbus.com/en/newsroom/storie...

We recently lost an American Hero when Duane Roberts passed away. He wasn’t a politician, a famous athlete, or a movie star - but he did invent a burrito that mattered.  Tom Brady is famous and rich and he recently cloned a pet.  You don’t have to be famous to do that, but you’d better be rich.  Sources: https://www.today.com/today/amp/rcna242078 https://gizmodo.com/the-inventor-of-the-frozen-burr...

You may hear these days of unfair or too close-to-call elections, but this isn’t a recent development.  It’s not the national anthem, but God Bless the USA sure feels like it could be … until you hear this segment.  Everyone hates changing their clocks twice per year. More than 80% of Americans say we should stop. Why don’t we? http://www.commutethepodcast.com Follow Commute: Instagram - instagram...

Do you get up when the alarm goes off or hit snooze and get nine more minutes? How did that setting end up always at nine? You’ve just run 26 miles. Marathons expect an additional .2 miles. How did that happen? Sources: https://www.history.com/articles/why-is-a-marathon-26-2-miles https://www.rd.com/article/why-is-snooze-9-minutes/ Sources: https://www.history.com/articles/why-is-a-marathon-26-2-m...

Louie Louie is a song frequently heard at bars, athletic events, and open mics. Then the FBI decided to take a closer look at the lyrics. If you’re wearing jeans, look at your right pocket and you’ll see a tiny, seemingly useless additional pocket. Any ideas? Sources: https://www.npr.org/2023/10/31/1209181745/louie-louie-the-story-behind-the-song-everyone-knows-but-no-one-understands https://www.b...

It seems simple—two pieces of bread with something in the middle—but its namesake is anything but. Some world records seem to stand forever, while others can fall multiple times yearly. We look at the reasons why not all records are created equal.  Sources: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20251003-the-maths-behind-world-records https://www.history.com/articles/sandwich-inventor-john-montagu-ear...

We don’t think twice about using a fork today, but our ancestors didn’t love it - and they were pretty sure God wouldn’t approve, either.  Since the 1950s, artificial laugh tracks have helped ensure that jokes land on sitcoms from I Love Lucy to Friends to The Big Bang Theory. Let’s meet the man responsible. http://www.commutethepodcast.com Follow Commute: Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodca...

Referred to as winged rats, pigeons aren’t often at the top of many favorite bird lists. They should be.  When would you guess the last Civil War pension check went out?  You’re probably wrong.  What we wear has an impact on how people perceive us. How big an impact? http://www.commutethepodcast.com Follow Commute: Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodcast/ Twitter - @PodcastCommute Facebook - f...

Ever wonder why keyboards seem random rather than in alphabetical order? Hint: it wasn’t done to help you type quicker.  For 70 years, Publishers Clearing House knocked on the door of an unsuspecting winner and presented them with a giant cardboard check, granting them monthly payments for the rest of their lives. Things have changed.  Sources: https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/16/business/publishers-cl...

Is Pig Latin a language? Is there a real pig involved?  Why does Jay dislike it so much? Most of us cringe when we hear a recording of ourselves. Why do we dislike it so much? Do other people hear us the way we hear ourselves? Sources: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/jul/12/the-real-reason-the-sound-of-your-own-voice-makes-you-cringe https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/what-is-pig-latin...

The US Government once tried to ban sliced bread. That went as well as you’d expect. For thirty years, a statue with an unsolvable puzzle has stood on the lawn of CIA headquarters. The answer is about to go up for auction. Sources: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nobody-has-been-able-to-solve-the-cias-famous-kryptos-sculpture-soon-the-solution-will-be-sold-to-the-highest-bidder-180987200...

Can you use up all the honk that’s in your car’s horn?  At one time the Olympics gave out medals for… architecture, music, painting, sculpture, and literature. Yes, we’re not kidding.  Sources: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/when-the-olympics-gave-out-medals-for-art-6878965/ https://www.mentalfloss.com/transportation/cars-trucks/do-cars-run-out-of-honk http://www.commutethepodcast.com...

What would you want your last meal to be? Most of us will (hopefully) never be on death row, but how would your answer line up with real requests from death row inmates? Only about 10% of people are left-handed. That can be good or bad depending on the task. + Why is anyone left-handed at all? Sources: https://choicemutual.com/blog/favorite-last-meal-by-state/ https://www.shoutoutuk.org/2024/08/13...

We'll be back next week with an all-new episode - until then, enjoy a popular one from the archives!  You’ve probably noticed novelty popcorn buckets tied in with select blockbuster movies. If you miss them in the theater, you can always take out a loan to buy one later. Screen time and its potentially harmful side effects are a real concern - even at zoos.  Okay, so he’s not sued EVERYone, b...

Why do some things (kids growing up 🥺) feel like they happen quickly, while others (DMV visit) creep along slowly? Gone since 2013, President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order to bring back the presidential physical fitness test. Cue collective dread. http://www.commutethepodcast.com Follow Commute: Instagram - instagram.com/commutethepodcast/ Twitter - @PodcastCommute Facebook - fa...

A clever crime ring in Bali has been successfully operating for decades and authorities are unable to stop it. The members of this crime syndicate are… monkeys. Some people get selected for jury duty so often they could teach a course on it, while others have never been called. What’s the story behind this (supposedly) random system? http://www.commutethepodcast.com Follow Commute: Instagram - ins...

We do it enthusiastically at concerts, politely at ceremonies and awkwardly at meetings.  Why do we clap? How did we start? The frozen crust-free peanut butter and jelly sandwich is the preferred snack of five-year-olds … and professional football players.  Sources: https://foodinstitute.com/focus/the-incredible-uncrustable-how-the-frozen-pbj-won-over-the-nfl/ https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20...